Six Palestinian NGOs Shut Down After Israel Designated Them “Terrorist Organisations”
The move has been described as a "systemic assault on human rights advocacy".
Israel has outlawed six Palestinian human rights groups after labelling them “terrorist organisations”. The Israeli Ministry of Defense said on Friday the groups were “active under the cover of civil society organisations” but were covertly working towards “the liberation of Palestine and the destruction of Israel”.
A military order claimed the NGOs, which include women’s and children’s groups, were associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) — a left-wing political group that carried out attacks against Israel in the ’60s and ’70s that’s blacklisted by the EU and US.
The declaration is expected to permit Israel authorities to raid the groups’ offices, seize their assets, arrest staff, and punish any public supporters of them, according to NBC News.
Israel just declared six Palestinians orgs as “terrorist” in a blatant attack meant to demobilize & isolate Palestinian civil society & grassroots organizing. The 6 include Defense for Children Intl-Palestine, Union of Agricultural Work Committee, and Union of Women’s Committees.
— Sumaya Awad (@sumayaawad) October 22, 2021
The alleged links involve helping finance PFLP, supporting its activities, and furthering the organisation’s goals by being “controlled by senior leaders of the PFLP”, according to the Defence Ministry. A spokesperson in Washington said the US State Department was not given advance warning about the designation from their ally — a claim which Israel disputes.
Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch Omar Shakir described the news as a “systemic assault on human rights advocacy”. He told Al Jazeera that it is “a reaction to the Israeli Government’s recognition that there is growing awareness about their grave abuses — including crimes against humanity, apartheid, and persecution against millions of Palestinians”.
The move has also been condemned by the international community for using counter-terrorism laws to impede on Palestinian humanitarian efforts.
“Defending human rights, calling for accountability, fighting against arbitrary arrests, is a legitimate work and must be respected, not shut by flawed terrorism laws,” UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly Clement Voule said on Sunday.
Image Credit: Joi Ito